What do you consider the hardest thing about living in another country? Most people say being away from friends and family. In this video, we talk about our own experiences with living in another country as both Hugh and I have done that. Hugh lived in Australia for about 7 years and I’ve been living in Korea for 3 years. I think my time in Korea has been easier since we were already married when we moved here, but Hugh lived several years in Australia before he met me. He had many hard times before he could speak English and was doing hard labour. His relationship with his mother became closer after being away from Korea. Since those times he appreciates his family so much more.
We talk about how helpful modern technology is in maintaining relationships with family and friends and the way people use it these days. If both sides are engaging regularly with messaging services and video chats it’s much easier. Unfortunately there are always cases where a friend back home doesn’t understand how vital it is to use these services and the relationship can suffer. It can be very difficult to live in another country, especially when you haven’t made friends yet.
For international relationships, there will always be someone missing home and their friends and family. That gap can be bridged a bit with technology but it can’t solve the issue completely. I think when both partners have experienced this situation they can both be understanding when their partner is upset or down about not being near their family.
Comments by Mika